The grant money will be used to identify gaps in services and to implement new approaches to tackle the issues of equity in birth outcomes and racial and ethnic disparities in infant mortality over a three-year period.

Local officials will also participate in training programs that will focus on improving birth outcomes in vulnerable populations.

The CareSource Foundation funds nonprofits that advance the health of underserved people. In addition to the Toledo health department grant the agency awarded more than $52,000 to several Toledo area nonprofits: Aurora Project, Cherry Street Mission, the Daughter Project, Rehabilitation Center for Neurological Development, the YWCA of Northwest Ohio, and Specialized Alternative for Families and Youth.